Many individuals utilize voice recorders to memorialize information and ideas. Voice recorders have used recording media such as analog tape. More recently digital voice recorders have been developed that use digital voice encoders to store voice data in computer memory.
Mobile voice recorders provide a convenient mechanism for memorializing information and ideas, particularly in instances where a user is unable or unwilling to write, type, or otherwise create either physical or electronic text. Unfortunately, a voice recording may be more difficult to review, share, or utilize than text. A voice recording may, of course, be transcribed by a typist with access to the media containing the recording. A digital recording may be transcribed using software. For software transcription, portable digital voice recorders currently require a personal computer (PC) and a connection cable to transcribe the recorded data. One example is the Naturally Mobile voice recorder that connects to a PC and uses Dragon Naturally Speaking transcription software. IBM ViaVoice is another example of PC-based transcription software. The voice recording can also be accomplished on the PC itself without a portable digital voice recorder, but this requires a larger, heavier device to accomplish the task.
One skilled in the art, as well as most individuals living in the developed world, will be familiar with multiple handheld devices available to provide various mobile services, such as voice communication and data exchange. In addition to the digital voice recorders cited above, other devices include mobile telephones, personal digital assistants (PDA), and pagers, among others. The multiplicity of mobile devices can create frustration and inconvenience for users. Combining functions into single devices is more convenient and can be more economical for the user, but the combination of functions into a single device may also be limited by factors such as size, battery life, and usability.